Umbrella-joint.



PATENTED DEG. 2'7, 1904.

I H. SPRAGUE.

UMBRELLA JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2751905.

UNTTED STATES Patented December 27', 1904.

JAMES H. SPRAGUE, OF NORWVALK, OHIO.

UMBRELLA-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,765, dated December27', 1904.

Application file-.1 November 27,1903. Serial No. 182,825.

To all (Uh/OWL it Z'JY/(Ly 0072007 72:

Be it known that I, James H. SPRAGUE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Norwalk, in the county of Huron and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Umbrella-Joint, of which the following is aspecilication.

This invention relates to a novel umbrellajoint by means of which thespreaders or ribs are connected to the notch of the runner or crown, asthe case may be. In ordinary construction the notch, whether it beformed on the crown or runner, is produced by bending back or curling anotched flange extended from one end of the sleeve through which theumbrella rod or staff is passed. The annular notch or socket thus formedconstitutes a bearing for terminal heads formed at the inner ends of theribs or spreaders, which are recessed at their opposite sides to formcomparatively narrow shanks connecting the heads with the body portionsof the ribs or spreaders and received within the slits or openings inthe wall of the socket. W'hen the umbrella is raised, a longitudinalstrain is imposed upon both the ribs and spreaders, and this strain isresisted bythe engagement of the head with the inner wall of the socket,this engagement being insured by bcveling the shoulders at the outer endof the neck or shank, so that the extremity of the head will be causedto bear against the inner wall of the socket, which thus constitutes athrust-bearing. 1 have found in practice, however, that the describedconstruction which has heretofore constituted the standard is open tomany serious objections, the principal of which is that when theumbrella is raised the thrust of the ribs and spreaders is sustained bythe unsupported side of the socket-that is to say, that part of thenotched flange which is bent under and back to form the bearings for theheads. As the strain is considerable, it frequently happens that thenotch-sections defined between the slits or openings will buckle outwardor bend, thus distorting the notch. This distortion is augmented by thefact that the shoulders at the outer end of the neck taper inwardlytoward the latter, and thus permit the rib or spreader to continue itsendwise movement until the tapered portion thereof becomes wedged in theopening in the notch and augments the distortion thereof, as well asinterfering with the raising and lowering of the umbrella. Furthermore,this inclined shoulder permits more or less lateral vibration at thejoint, with the result that the notch is liable to turn, whichfrequently results not only in the distortion of the notch or socket,but in the bending of the shank of the rib or spreader. Having in mindthese objections to the standard construction, the object of my presentinvention is to so construct the joint that the thrust of the spreaderor rib, as the case may be, will be sustained by the outer surface ofthe notch in order to increase the bearing-surface and to bring thestrain at such points as will tend to maintain rather the proper shapeof the notch than to efiect its distortion.

A further object is to so construct the joint that such lateralvibration of the ribs and spreaders as would tend to rotate the crownand runner will be prevented.

To the accomplishment of these objects and others subordinate thereto,the preferred embodiment of the invention embraces the coninafterdescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and succinctlydefined in the appended claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of anumbrella staff or rod equipped with a runner having its notch connectedto the inner ends of a series of spreaders. Fig. 2 is a plan View of thesubject-matter of Fig. l, a portion of the notch being broken away. Fig.3 is a sectional view, on a somewhat-enlarged scale, showing theconnection between one of the spreaders and the notch. Fig. at is adetail perspective view of the inner end of a spreader. Fig. 5 is anenlarged section of the joint, and Fig. 6 is a detail view of the innerend of a slightly-modified form of a rib or spreader.

Like numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

Upon the umbrella-rod 1 is mounted a runner 2, provided at its upper endwith a notch 3. The notch 3 is formed, as usual, by providing anoutturned angular flange 4 with a series of radial slits 5 and bybending the outer edge of the flange into transversely cylindrical formto produce an annular socket having equidistant openings. This annularsocket having equidistant openings for the reception of the membersjoined thereto is known as the notch, and it should be understood thatin employing the term notch hereinafter I have reference to the socketirrespective of its attachment to the runner or crown of the umbrella.

In carrying out my invention the members connected to the notcl --as,for instance, the spreaders 6 -are formed with reduced shanks or necks7, defined between square shoulders 8 and a head 9, the neck, shoulders,and head being preferably produced by recessing the opposite side of thespreader. The shoulders 8 are designed to bear against the outer face 10of the notch, the head 9 being of proper size to leave an intervalbetween its inner end and the inner wall or face of the notch. By thisarrangement the bearing-surfaces of the joint are the outer face 10 ofthe notch and the shoulders 8 as distinguished from the inner face ofthe notch and the head, as usual. By this arrangement the thrust of thespreader or rib tends to hold the wall of the socket to its true form,since the strain is always directed toward the center of the socketinstead of outwardly therefrom, as in ordinary con structions.Furthermore, as the shoulders 8 bear against the outer wall of the notchat opposite sides of the neck 7, confined between the walls of theslits, lateral vibration of the ribs and spreaders is prevented and thenotch is securely held against turning movement on the red.

I have stated that the shoulders 8 are flat. By this I mean that theyare disposed in planes at right angles to the neck instead of taperingoutwardly; but it is of course to be understood that if desired theseshoulders may have a slight longitudinal curvature-that is to say, acurvature extending from edge to edge of the neckso that while theseshoulders have a bearing against the outer walls of the notch they mayalso conform to the transverse curvature thereof. A spreader formed inaccordance with this variation is shown in Fig.

6, the curvature of one of the shoulders 8 being shown at 8.

It is thought that from the foregoing the construction of my improvedjoint and the advantages accruing therefrom will be clearly understood;but while the present embodiment of the invention appears at this timeto be preferable I desire to reserve the right to ef fect such changes,modifications, and variations of the illustrated structure as may fallfairly within the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim is 1. In an umbrella, a joint of the character described,comprising a hollow member having a curved outer face provided with aslit or opening, and a relatively swinging member in the form of a rodhaving a head located within the hollow member and a thrust bearingagainst the outer face thereof.

2. In an umbrella a joint of the character described comprising a hollowtransverselycylindrical member having a slit or opening in its wall, anda cooperatingmember having a neck located in the slit or opening, a headlocated within the lirst-named member, and a thrust bearing upon theouter face of said member.

3. In an umbrella a joint of the character described comprising a hollowtransverselycylindrieal member having a slit or opening in its wall, anda cooperating member formed with flat shoulders bearing against theouter face of the first-named member and also formed with a neck movablein the slit or opening and with a terminal head located within thehollow member and having its end face out of contact with the innersurface thereof.

4. The combination with an umbrella-rod, of a sleeve mounted thereon andhaving a curled flange formed with slits, and a plurality of framemembers having heads confined by the flange, necks movable in the slits,and shoulders bearing against the outer face of the flange to sustainthe thrust of the members.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

J AS. H. SPRAGUE.

l/Vitnesses:

J OHN A. STRATTON, F. J. MEAD.

